New Alternatives for Treating Mastitis (1:40, 2007)
Narrator - Bob Ellison USDA
"Mastitis is a condition affecting cows that costs farmers and the dairy industry millions of
dollars annually. US Department of Agriculture researchers are developing methods to deal with
this major problem."
Dr. Doug Bannerman - USDA ARS
"You are talking about economic losses due to decreased milk production, decreased milk
quality, you've got veterinary animal care services, you've got treatment services, economically
it's a very devastating disease."
Narrator - Bob Ellison USDA
"Bannerman and his colleagues at USDA's Agricultural Research Service facility in Beltsville,
Maryland have come up with alternatives to the traditional antibiotic treatment for mastitis which
is an inflammation of cows' mammary glands. One method induces a natural immune response to
get rid of infection."
Dr. Doug Bannerman - USDA ARS
"If we can induce that inflammatory immune response by using things such as
immunomodulators to recreate what the cow does when it successfully clears the infections
perhaps that's going to now allow the cow to get rid of these other infections which we can't treat
readily with antibiotics."
Narrator - Bob Ellison USDA
Bannerman and company are also working on organic treatments to combat mastitis. For his
research efforts Bannerman is getting the ARS Early Career Scientist of the Year Award. He says
his research would have been difficult without the Beltsville facility's resources.
Dr. Doug Bannerman - USDA ARS
"ARS is unique in that we have these large animal facilities, we have cross-collaborations. Even
here at Beltsville, for example, we have a multidisciplinary group of scientists both in the plant
side, the human side, of nutrition and you've got the animal people."
Narrator - Bob Ellison USDA
"Bannerman says ARS is working with national and international companies to get new mastitis
treatments on to dairy farms.
In Beltsville, Maryland for the US Department of Agriculture, I'm Bob Ellison."